Antibodies derived from llamas, called nanobodies, comprise only a small part (a single domain) of conventional antibodies, yet possess full antigen-binding capacity. These nanobodies have shown great potential both as structural tools and as therapeutic agents in a number of diseases caused by protein dysfunction.

A study by Dr. Erwin De Genst and Dr. Marija Iljina reports that llama-derived nanobodies – essentially miniature antibodies – might find therapeutic application in Parkinson’s disease. The nanobodies can bind to harmful protein clumps in the brain, called oligomers, to neutralize toxicity and help prevent cell death. Furthermore, they found that the nanobodies are able to slow down the oligomer’s aggregation reaction.

We are happy to announce that in the near future, Capra Science farm will be housing llamas for development of nanobodies. More information will follow shortly.

Years before people start showing characteristic symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, sticky plaques, known as amyloid plaques, begin forming in their brains, damaging nearby cells. For decades, doctors have sought ways to clear out these plaques as a way to prevent or treat the disease.

A few antibodies that clear plaques by directly targeting amyloid beta are being evaluated in clinical trials. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have shown that a unique antibodies against another protein, APOE, have the ability to remove these plaques in a mouse disease model of Alzheimers. These antibodies were developed in collaboration with Denali Therapeutics.

“Many people build up amyloid over many years, and the brain just can’t get rid of it,” said senior author David Holtzman, MD, the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor and head of the Department of Neurology. “By removing plaques, if we start early enough, we may be able to stop the changes to the brain that result in forgetfulness, confusion and cognitive decline.”

Once antibodies attach themselves to their APOE target, they attract the attention of immune cells, which carry both antibody and target off to be destroyed. The researchers reasoned that nearby amyloid might be cleared away along with APOE.

The new findings, available March 26 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could lead to a way to halt the brain damage triggered by amyloid plaques while the disease is still in its early stages. Capra Science Antibodies looks forward to following the development of their research towards a promising Alzheimer’s therapy.

Scientists have discovered a unique human antibody in the blood of a volunteer who had received an experimental vaccine made from weakened malaria parasites (PfSPZ Vaccine-Sanaria). The volunteer developed a unique malaria-targeting antibody named CI43. This antibody had the ability to protect mice from infection with the deadliest malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Furthermore, the volunteer carrying this unique antibody, was later exposed to infectious malaria-carrying mosquitoes under carefully controlled conditions, and did not become infected.

The research findings provide the basis for future testing in humans to determine if the antibody can provide short-term protection against malaria, and also aid in a future long-lasting vaccine design. Currently, there is no highly effective, long-lasting vaccine to prevent malaria, a mosquito-spread disease that causes some 430,000 deaths each year, primarily among young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Investigators at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, led this research with colleagues at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Additional collaborators on the study included scientists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and Sanaria Inc., Rockville, Maryland.

Capra Science Antibodies looks forward to following the development of their research.

Immunotherapy pioneer James P. Allison wins the Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biomedicine, reported in January 2018. Capra Science Antibodies congratulates Professor James P. Allison to this well deserved award! In the words of the jury’s citation, James P. Allison was the first to demonstrate that immunotherapy can treat cancer effectively, initiating an approach that "has provided clinical benefit to many cancer patients" and "stimulated the development of a new class of drugs employing the immune system to fight cancer." His work in immunology has clearly had an impact on today’s developing cancer treatments.Read more about James P. Allison here: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/bf-ipj013018.php

Therapeutic antibodies, also called humanized monoclonal antibodies, have become the talk of the town in drug development the last few decades. The antibody’s ability to bind to a specific molecule makes it very attractive in development of new treatments. Several successful antibody-based drugs have already been approved for treatments of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and several different cancers including colorectal cancer and breast cancer. And the list keeps growing.

At Capra Science Antibodies, we have the knowledge and capability to assist clients in developing new therapeutic antibodies by humanizing monoclonal antibodies originally developed in another species. This is needed to overcome immunologic side effects effected by the drug. Capra Science also has extensive experience in producing reliable specific antibodies towards the therapeutic antibodies (or anti-ADC antibodies) for monitoring in pre-clinical and clinical trials. The specific anti-drug antibodies that we develop are often polyclonal antibodies.

Drugs developed today are increasingly effective, saving many patients' lives.

However, many of these novel drugs work only on specific subgroups of human diseases. For example, this is true for a range of cancer treatments. The modern cancer drugs work very effectively on a defined group of cancers. Each sub-type of cancer has a “finger print” which is characterized by elevations or absence of different proteins in the tissue (biological markers). Antibodies towards these biological markers are used as a tool to visualize the “finger print” and ultimately to identify the right patients for a certain cancer drug treatment. In the laboratory, these antibodies are usually used on patient test samples (blood or tissue) to define good matches between patient and drug.

Capra Science Antibodies produces many antibodies for pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies. Reliable, high quality antibodies are necessary to screen human samples and to identify the right patients for their highly specific drugs. These screening antibodies can be monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies.

Self-diagnose home kits are becoming increasingly popular. During the last decade a growing list of home test kits, which are based on antibodies or antigens, have rapidly approached the market. Here are a few examples:

Health monitoring tests:

Family planning: Pregnancy home tests have been around since the late 1970s. Ovulation tests are now also available.

The antibody is a fantastic protein. Antibodies make every batch of food and biological products entering our stores safe. Their ability to specifically bind to a unique molecule make antibodies irreplaceable in quality assurance of food and biological products. Antibodies screen products to prevent contaminated and poor batches reaching the store shelves. These are our top three picks that illustrate how antibodies keep us safe.

FOOD: Serious food borne illnesses are most commonly caused by E.Coli, Salmonella and Listeria. WHO has estimated about 600 million food borne illnesses worldwide and over 420,0000 deaths in 2010. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/foodborne-diseases/ferg/en/ Antibodies have the amazing ability to prevent contaminated vegetables, meat, dairy products and processed food from exiting the production facilities.

FARM ANIMALS: Antibodies are able to track down and prevent the spread of lethal viral and bacterial outbreaks in live stock.

BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS: Pure components like collagens and hyaluronic acids are increasingly used in cosmetic and skin products. In order for these products to be safe to use on our bodies, the production of the molecules need to be monitored by antibodies. The same goes for many dietary supplements. Another area of biological products are enzymes in washing detergents: these need to be at just the right concentration to do the work effeciently.

Did you know that antibodies improve our lives in so many ways? The antibody is a fantastic protein. Its ability to specifically bind to a unique molecule makes it irreplaceable in medicine, diagnosis and in quality assurance of food and biological products. Moreover, antibodies are widely used in the research and development of new groundbreaking discoveries. Antibodies enhance life quality in so many ways. These are our top 4.

1. FOOD AND BIOPRODUCT SAFETY Antibodies are widely used in quality control in production facilities. This makes every batch of food and biological products entering the stores safe, illuminating contaminated or poor batches. Antibodies used in these applications are polyclonal or monoclonal.

2. SELF-DIAGNOSIS For example, antibodies indicate the results when using a regular pregnancy test kit. Many valuable antibody-based self-diagnosis kits are approaching the market today. Antibodies used in these applications are polyclonal or monoclonal.

3. DIAGNOSIS FOR TREATMENT Many novel drugs work on specific subgroups of human diseases. Antibodies make it possible to pick out the right patients for treatment. These screening antibodies are monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies.

4. THERAPY Antibodies are widely used to treat several diseases such as multiple sclerosis,rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and several different cancers including colorectal cancer and breast cancer. These antibodies are usually humanized monoclonal antibodies.

It is estimated the global market for antibody drugs will reach $114.6 billion by 2022, up from $84.5 billion in 2017, with a 6.3% annual growth rate. In comparison, the global market for research antibodies (monoclonal and polyclonal) reached almost $3 billion this year, with a similar annual growth rate.

In 2016, monoclonal antibody drugs had the largest share of the market in autoimmune diseases with about 46.1%. Solid tumors, lymphoma and leukemia, and other diseases had market shared of 24.2%, 13.2% and 16.5%, respectively.

Humanized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the largest segment in terms of revenue, followed by other monoclonal antibody categories such as human, chimeric and murine.Diagnostic antibodies market is also a fast growing industry, globally exceeding ten billion dollars annually.

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